The Cat Gambit
by Adrian68st
Summary: A strange and funny tale about Anders and Ser Pounce-a-lot.


**The Cat Gambit**

 _When I`ve first met Anders, he mentioned casually his cat, gifted to him by the Hero of Ferelden. It was much later that I heard the whole story – or at least the important parts about Ser Pounce-a-lot, and how they got separated._

 _Anders told me this story during a lazy, pleasant late spring afternoon at the old Amell mansion. When the air is full of the perfume of thousands of flowers, and the hushed banter and laughter coming in from the open window make you dream of exotic places and tales._

 _And the tale Anders told me that afternoon was fittingly unusual._

It was raining for two days. The kind of constant, never-ending small drops of rain, the one which drives you bored or mad. The kind of rain forbidding anything happening outside. Just soaking the entire world slowly, and making it miserable.

Anders looked out of the window one more time. Nothing moved outside. No birds, bees, nor even dogs or cats. The entire world was quiet and just waiting for a change. Any change. Anders sighed and turned his face from the window.

He was recovering after a routine visit to Kal`Hirol. Well, if fighting off the most recent darkspawn incursion can qualify as "visit". Anders really hated the Deep Roads, but the Hero of Ferelden was far away on a secret mission, and he was needed.

With nothing exciting to do in sight, Anders fetched the yarn ball and presented it to Pounce-a-lot. Cats are always happy to chase fast moving objects, but this one did more than catching the small hardened yarn balls. Pounce-a-lot knew how to return it and usually aimed to Anders`s eyes or nose as if on purpose, then waited for his reaction with his head tilted a little to the left.

This day was even worse than usual. Pounce-a-lot kept hitting the sensible targets almost at every attempt. Half an hour later a quite dizzy Anders asked loudly: "Is this payback for what happened at Kal`Hirol? Honestly, I couldn`t expect a Genlock to be so crazy to grab your tail and swing you around. Anyway, I rescued you at the end."

"And this should make me feel better? Who came up with the brilliant idea to carry me into a fight in his coat? Have you any notion of how filthy and foul smelling that creature was? I had to endure the whole package a full minute until he decided that claws and fangs are no fun. Also, I almost hit the wall when he threw me!" came the soprano answer as the ball hit Anders in the forehead with a force not becoming a kitten. But that was not the main reason for Anders to dive like crazy toward the table, where his staff was just…

His staff was now in the hands of a tall and slender woman, with black hair and iron gaze, although with a hint of irony also.

"I wouldn`t be so sure your staff will be of any help to you now…" she said with a vague smile. "Or anything else, if I wanted to harm you". She held the staff casually with her right hand as if perfectly accustomed to its weight and use.

"What are you? And how did you get here? What happened to Ser Pounce-a-lot?" asked Anders suddenly concerned, looking around his room.  
"I was always your Pounce-a-lot, you idiot. Since Theron found me in the courtyard. And the question is not what but who I am. Sit down before you do something stupid. I have little tolerance for rushed, improper reactions".

Anders just stared at her, as if he had forgotten how to speak or move. Or just like a proper idiot.

The black haired woman answered this lack of reaction with a slightly annoyed grimace. "Don`t you have a mind of your own? Think, Anders. Think for a change!"

"You`re Morrigan," said matter-of-factly Anders, retreating a step and seriously concerned now. He doubted to be a match for the famous Witch of the Wilds. He remembered some stories about… "You can shapeshift into many animal forms. Why a cat?"  
"Because of your like for cats, Anders. And I needed to be close to Theron, but not that close. A pet cat for a companion will do," smiled Morrigan, a little bit flattered by Anders`s new attention. And more relaxed inside. _At least the boy will not try something really stupid now._

"If you wanted to spy on Theron why did you choose to disappear after the Battle of Denerim? It would have been easy to accompany him to Vigil Keep and…" Anders was interrupted by a not so gentle hit on the head from his own staff.  
"Since when are my plans open to discussion with you? Have I asked you about why you accepted the Grey Warden`s offer instead of returning to the Circle or escaping again?" said Morrigan amused. "It`s not enough that I`m here, as I was throughout the entire campaign against the Architect and the Mother. I am here to help Theron, not to spy on him."

"Really? Then why don`t you come here in human form, not sneaking around as some cute but helpless kitten …" Anders stopped in alarm as a ray of raw energy hit him in the chest. He glanced at Morrigan, who still held his staff casually, but now leveled and trained to him.  
"Do I look like a kitten to you right now, Anders?" Her mouth sketched a hint of a predator`s smile. One perfectly suited to a big cat. A very big and dangerous one. The kind you`ll never want to mess with. Or challenge.

"Anyway, I did not know anything about the Architect and the Mother back then. But if something really serious would have happened, something harmful for him, I was close. Not that I think Theron is defenseless. He is an Arcane Warrior, after all". Morrigan said nonchalantly, but as if trying to cover a hint of concern.

Despite his growing fear of the probably crazy witch, Anders couldn`t resist and burst into a loud laugh: "What are you talking about? Theron`s not a mage. It`s obvious to anyone. Are you sure you know how to recognize other mages than yourself…" Anders stopped speaking abruptly and looked in horror at Morrigan, who was now grinning quite obviously.

"That`s better. I just silenced you for a moment. Your blabbering was really annoying. It`s you who should ask yourself if you are capable to recognize magic when you`re encountering it. Or rather if you have ever been able to recognize anything related to magic not mentioned in one of those infantile books from the Circle. Why do you think you`re capable of doing magic? What`s magic anyway? It`s a use of raw energy for our purposes, whether conscious or not, from the Fade, blood or any energy sources. You don`t need to be able to use such energy to produce magic. It`s also possible to borrow the skill from someone. How do you think Templars are capable of magic? And don`t say that they are doing something else. I`ve spent enough time near Alistair to learn exactly what Templars do, and how they do it."

"Are you saying that Theron is possessed, that he`s an abomination? Are you crazy? I would have recognized such a thing a long time ago!"

Anders was projected unceremoniously into his favorite chair, with a loud crash, while Morrigan sat down on his bed.

"You and I need to talk through a few things, Anders, so you won`t ever bother me with foolish questions. Theron may not be born as a mage, but something happened to him recently. I don`t know if it was in some ruins he explored before being recruited, or in the old Elven Brecilian ruins. I think it`s possible that he encountered a spirit who became an invisible companion. What`s certain is that after he discovered a phylactery containing an ancient elven spirit who taught him the Arcane Warrior lore, Theron started using magical energy almost constantly during battles. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but he`s always connected to a raw energy source. I tried to ask him about this in some convoluted ways, but he seems to know nothing about what`s happening. Nor is he aware of any kind of spirit talking with him, observing him or connected with him in any way.  
It`s also possible that maybe his soul is ancient, and that encounter with the elven spirit just awakened it. I asked around in the Dalish camp we encountered during the Blight, and it seems that his parents were also visiting some very old Elven ruins before he was born. So it`s not unlikely that he has a very old elven soul inside."

"Are you now saying Theron is not just an ordinary abomination? That he is possessed by some angry old spirit who…"  
"Stop being foolish, Anders. We are all abominations in a sense. What do you think this world is? Why people dream in the Fade? Why are mages able to enter it? This world is more likely a Fade creation. The only difference between the Fade we can enter sometimes and this world is that here the rules are more stable for most people. But how can you produce heat, lightning or drain heat? What is healing? How am I able to become a cat or a bear if not by changing the rules? You heard about Flemeth being able to shapeshift into a dragon. Do you think the entire mass of a dragon is hidden somewhere when not used? We mages are able to create by bypassing the rules. What rules are in the Fade? Why are rules only on Thedas?"

Anders sat down slowly. He stared at Morrigan for minutes, incapable of saying a word. Thinking. Thinking faster than ever in his life. His eyes stared at the window, then his head bowed a little.  
"Are you saying that all this world is an illusion and all this just a Fade creation? That the Maker is just a powerful spirit or demon, and this is his realm? And this is why the darkspawn came into existence when mages tried to evade the Maker`s realm?" said he with shining eyes, looking with interest toward Morrigan for the first time.

"I don`t know anything about the Maker, or how the darkspawn first appeared. I can just speculate about. What I know is that all creatures living in this world are also some kind of spirits. And those born as mages are probably some kind of different spirits, able to alter the rules and create, while others cannot. And maybe this is why spirits and demons are sometimes entering our world. They are curious, or simply found themselves here."  
"There is one thing I still cannot understand. What do you want from the Warden-Commander? The war with the Architect is over. And Theron is not after you, he has an important task here. Can`t you just leave him in peace?"

"Actually, he is looking for me right now. This is the "secret mission" he is missing for. But I`m not here to spy on him. Or on the Grey Wardens. Theron and I were… close, so when I learned about his new position at Vigil`s Keep I thought that maybe… not that I think he can`t defend himself, but I heard about some serious darkspawn trouble around Amaranthine. Something strange, unknown. I have my own tasks, so I used a ring I gave him to know about his location and maintain a contact of the sorts. After the ambush he survived while arriving at Vigil keep, I decided to keep an eye on him. Cat`s eyes, in fact." said Morrigan, smiling but visibly concerned now.

Strangely, Anders felt completely relaxed and somehow relieved. Humanity and human emotions are familiar, recognizable and also comforting. He felt _at home_ for the first time he saw Morrigan.  
"Hmmm… you know, based on the tales I`ve heard, I figured out you are selfish, arrogant and very dangerous. Now it seems you are caring, patient and maybe even romantic. I wouldn`t have minded a teacher like you in the Circle.

"A teacher like me was never possible in the Circle, Anders. The Chantry does not want to teach mages, just to control them. But we can always talk more. Now come, let`s go out for a stroll. The rain just stopped outside, and the fresh air will help with your headache…"

***  
The following weeks the other Grey Wardens started whispering about Anders and his strange obsession with his cat. They have become almost inseparable, always out playing or strangely just walking together. Sometimes it looked like Anders was talking to Ser Pounce-a-lot, and it seemed to be some proper dialogue. As if they were discussing something. More strangely, Anders seemed to avoid the company of everyone else.

So his fellow Wardens were quite worried. And since the Warden-Commander was still missing, they noticed the Seneschal, who promised to look into the matter …

 _After hearing this incredible tale, I started to understand better why Anders tried to help Justice and ended up as a duality. Or an abomination, as the Chantry prefers to call them. He was probably enthralled by Morrigan`s ideas about the Fade, our world, and spirits. And probably wanted to learn more. It can be a great incentive for a mage, especially a curious one._

 _And I also started to understand Anders` obsession with cats. Or rather why he tried to befriend every cat he encountered in Kirkwall. Or to attract them with milk. He was probably half-expecting that maybe, just maybe …_

 _But it never happened again, as far as I know._

 _But having written this, now I`m thinking: if, by chance, it happened again, would Anders ever tell me about it?_

 _Definitely not._


End file.
